1U / 2U rackmount gaming PC

[nsfx]

Hello, I'd like to build a gaming rig that I can mount on the under-side of my desk. I've found lots of great ITX builds on the forum and elsewhere, but most of the cases have exhaust/intake ports on their broad sides which precludes safely mounting it that way. So I started thinking about rackmount chassis because they're designed to stay cool while stacked horizontally.

This has been done in the past (see below), but I can't find any recent builds. It's hard in general to find any rackmount build details with consumer level hardware. I did find superlogics.com which seems to target this niche, so I emailed them. I'll update this thread if I get a response.

I'm curious if anyone here has experience with such a build. Tips, suggestions also welcome. Thanks.

Old material:

(2009) Small 1U Gaming Computer
http://hackedgadgets.com/2009/03/05/small-1u-gaming-computer/

(2003) CFA-633 and 1U: Part 2/3: Mr. Hyde
https://forum.crystalfontz.com/showthread.php/2028-CFA-633-and-1U-Part-2-3-Mr-Hyde-(!56K)

(2012) How do you fit PCI Express x16 cards in a 2U Rack Case?
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1700235

(2008) Gaming PC in a rackmount chasis?
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1333325

 

[Deleted member 88227]

I can't imagine something like that being very quiet.

 

[Levelog]

Yeah it'd certainly be loud. Maybe a case like this would do the job. Would work with any normal form factor motherboard, full sized GPU. Just might need a low profile cooler.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Will be easier to go with 4U, as it might be hard to find a low profile gaming card. Some cases will have a special card with a single slot that will be sideways, but video cards take 2 slots now so that wont work. I did this for my two workstations (one for Linux one for Windows) as they sit in my server rack and have long cables running to my office. Nice and quiet in there.